'Cold does kill' warning as North East braced for chilliest night of the year
The North East awoke to frozen cars and icy conditions this morning, and despite a dry and sunny day ahead, this evening is expected to get very chilly indeed.
Public Health England is urging people to prepare for the cold snap, warning that it can have serious health implications.
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Hide AdDr Angie Bone, from the extreme events team at Public Health England, said: "Cold does kill, even in places where the temperatures aren't at their lowest.
"Now is the time to prepare for the cold weather forecast by the Met Office, and to think of those you know who are older, very young, or have pre-existing health conditions who are particularly vulnerable."
Meteorologist Mark Wilson said while it is unlikely overnight temperatures for the entire UK will drop lower than the coldest of the season so far - which was -12C in parts of Scotland last week - Britain could get its coldest night of autumn on tonight with temperatures in some areas forecast to get as low as -8C.
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Hide AdThe North East looks to escape the worst of the cold weather, which will mainly hit southern regions. The minimum temperature for the North East predicted by the Met Office for tonight is -1C.
Mr Wilson said: "We're pretty confident it will be one of, if not the, coldest night of the autumn so far."
"For the bulk of the country, it's going to be a cold day. Across much of the southern parts of the country we're expecting harsher frost."
While the overnight frost forecast for the central and southern regions was "fairly unusual", it would be unlikely to pose any real risk or disruption to the public, Mr Wilson said.
He said:" Although it's going to be cold, there aren't going to be too many hazards."
"There isn't too much water, it's going to be dry."